Tatami
Traditional Japanese flooring mats made of soft rush.
Tatami are soft floor mats found in traditional Japanese-style rooms. They come in standard sizes that are twice as long as they are wide, typically measuring about 0.9 by 1.8 meters (3 by 6 feet), though exact dimensions vary by region. In martial arts, these mats serve as flooring for both training in a dojo and competition. Tatami have also historically been used in tameshigiri, the Japanese practice of test-cutting targets.
The word *tatami* comes from the verb *tatamu*, meaning "to fold" or "to pile," reflecting that early versions were thin and could be folded away or stacked when not in use. Originally a luxury item reserved for the nobility, tatami were a privilege of the upper class while commoners lived on mat-covered earthen floors. During the Heian period, aristocratic residences built in the *shinden-zukuri* style had mostly wooden floors, with tatami used only as seating for the highest-ranking aristocrats. In the Kamakura period, the *shoin-zukuri* architectural style emerged among samurai and priests who had gained influence. This style reached its peak in the Muromachi period, when tatami gradually began covering entire floors, starting with smaller rooms. Rooms fully covered in tatami became known as *zashiki*, meaning "spread out for sitting," and rules about seating and etiquette dictated how the mats were arranged. Before the mid-16th century, nobles and samurai slept on tatami or woven mats called *goza*, while commoners used straw mats or loose straw. Tatami became more widespread and reached common households toward the end of the 17th century. Today, Japanese homes often have few or no tatami-floored rooms, though having just one such room is common. Rooms with tatami flooring and other traditional features are called *nihonma* or *washitsu*, meaning "Japanese-style rooms."
Tatami are categorized by size according to their region of origin. *Kyōma* tatami, from Kyoto, measure 1.91 by 0.955 meters (6 ft 3.2 in by 3 ft 1.6 in). *Chūkyōma* tatami, also called *Ainoma* ("in-between" size), come from Nagoya and measure 1.82 by 0.91 meters (6 ft 0 in by 3 ft 0 in). *Edoma* tatami, also known as *Kantōma*, originate from Tokyo and measure 1.76 by 0.88 meters (5 ft 9 in by 2 ft 11 in). In traditional Japanese length units, a tatami is 1 by 0.5 *ken*, or 6 by 3 *shaku*. Because the length of these units varies by region, different areas dev
- origin
- Japan
- material
- Soft rush (igusa) cover on a hemp or cotton warp, with a core of rice straw, compressed wood chip boards, or extruded polystyrene foam
- standard_size
- Approximately 0.9 by 1.8 metres (3 by 6 ft), varying by region
- historical_period
- Emerged as thin, foldable mats; became widespread among commoners toward the end of the 17th century
- field
- Architecture, martial arts, tea ceremony
- known_for
- Traditional Japanese flooring, used to measure room size in tatami mats (jō)
Lore & Background
The term tatami is derived from the verb tatamu, meaning 'to fold' or 'to pile', indicating that early tatami were thin and could be folded up when not used or piled in layers. Tatami were originally a luxury item for the nobility, while the lower classes had mat-covered earthen floors. During the Heian period, tatami were used as seating only for the highest aristocrats in shinden-zukuri palatial rooms, which were mainly wooden-floored. In the Kamakura period, the shoin-zukuri architectural style arose for samurai and priests, and during the Muromachi period tatami gradually came to be spread over whole rooms, beginning with small rooms. Floors completely covered with tatami became known as zashiki, and rules concerning seating and etiquette determined the arrangement of the tatami in the rooms.
Reader's Guide
Tatami have been a defining element of Japanese architecture and culture for centuries. Originally a luxury for the nobility, they gradually became common in the homes of commoners toward the end of the 17th century. Today, houses built in Japan often have few or no tatami-floored rooms, though having just one such room is common. Rooms with tatami flooring and other traditional features are called nihonma or washitsu. Tatami are also used in martial arts dojos for training and competition, and in tameshigiri, the art of target test cutting. The size of a room in Japan is often measured in relation to the size of tatami mats, with a standard Nagoya-size tatami being about 1.653 square meters. The layout of tatami in a room follows rules: an 'auspicious' arrangement forms a T-shaped junction pattern, while an 'inauspicious' grid pattern with +-shaped junctions is associated with bad luck and avoided. Modern tatami may have cores of compressed wood chip boards or extruded polystyrene foam instead of traditional rice straw.
Did You Know?
- The term tatami comes from the verb tatamu, meaning 'to fold' or 'to pile', because early tatami were thin and could be folded or stacked.
- Tatami are used in martial arts for training in a dojo and for competition, as well as in tameshigiri, the Japanese art of target test cutting.
- A half mat is called a hanjō, and a three-quarter length mat is called a daimedatami, used in tea-ceremony rooms.
- In the Edo period, 'auspicious' and 'inauspicious' tatami arrangements were distinctly differentiated, with tatami rearranged depending on the occasion.
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